Dragon's teeth

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth is here in full — 490 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Eça de Queirós • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

On seeing him she turned crimson, and rising to her feet stammered,-- “I am not to blame, Senhor; I have just had a violent palpitation,--” “So violent that you sat down to read the newspaper,” returned Jorge, mechanically grasping his cane.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXI Reading 1/98

Dragon's teeth Eça de Queirós

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth is here in full — 490 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE SHADOW OF A SIN. ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home. Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs. The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper. On seeing him she turned crimson, and rising to her feet stammered,-- “I am not to blame, Senhor; I have just had a violent palpitation,--” “So violent that you sat down to read the newspaper,” returned Jorge, mechanically grasping his cane.

Dragon's teeth

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth is here in full — 490 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/98 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

/ðə ˈʃæd.oʊ ʌv ə sɪn/

Line 2

ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

Line 3

Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

Line 4

The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

Line 5

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

cane noun US /keɪn/

a stick that people can lean on to help them walk

From this reading “On seeing him she turned crimson, and rising to her feet stammered,-- “I am not to blame, Senhor; I have just had a violent palpitation,--” “So violent that you sat down to read the newspaper,” returned Jorge, mechanically grasping his cane.”

comfortably adverb US /ˈkʌmfərtəbli/

in mental comfort; without stress

From this reading “The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.”

Department noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading “ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.”

grasping noun US /ˈɡræspɪŋ/

understanding with difficulty

mechanically adverb US /məˈkænɪkli/

in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism

palpitation noun US /ˌpælpəˈteɪʃən/

a rapid and irregular heart beat

ringing noun US /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading “The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.”

selling noun US /ˈselɪŋ/

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

From this reading “Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

comfortably seated adverb + adjective

In this reading “The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.”

on the sofa preposition + article + noun counted as “on … sofa”

In this reading “The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.”

read the newspaper verb + article + noun counted as “read … newspaper”

In this reading “On seeing him she turned crimson, and rising to her feet stammered,-- “I am not to blame, Senhor; I have just had a violent palpitation,--” “So violent that you sat down to read the newspaper,” returned Jorge, mechanically grasping his cane.”

old woman adjective + noun

a woman who is old

In this reading “Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.”

returned home verb + noun counted as “return home”

In this reading “ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.”

hall door noun + noun

In this reading “The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.”

some days adjective + noun

In this reading “ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.”

All words in this reading · 78

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

afterwardsadverbUS /ˈæftərwərdz/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading On seeing him she turned crimson, and rising to her feet stammered,-- “I am not to blame, Senhor; I have just had a violent palpitation,--” “So violent that you sat down to read the newspaper,” returned Jorge, mechanically grasping his cane.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

blameverbUS /bleɪm/

put or pin the blame on

canenounUS /keɪn/

a stick that people can lean on to help them walk

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

comfortablyadverbUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbli/

in mental comfort; without stress

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/

of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

DepartmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

eggsnounUS /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/

a movement into or inward

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

feast-day

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

graspingnounUS /ˈɡræspɪŋ/

understanding with difficulty

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

Joanna

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

Jorge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

Juliana

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

mechanicallyadverbUS /məˈkænɪkli/

in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

newspapernounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpər/

a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

palpitationnounUS /ˌpælpəˈteɪʃən/

a rapid and irregular heart beat

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/

the sound of a bell ringing

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

sellingnounUS /ˈselɪŋ/

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

Senhornoun

a Portuguese title of respect; equivalent to English “Mr”

SHADOWnounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

SINnounUS /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

stammered

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE SHADOW OF A SIN.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

violentadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪələnt/

acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading ONE morning, some days afterwards, Jorge, who had forgotten that it was a feast-day, found the office closed, on going to the Department, and returned home.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The hall door was open, and entering without ringing, he surprised Juliana comfortably seated on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Joanna was standing at the door, talking to an old woman who was selling eggs.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth by Eça de Queirós holds 490 sentences, grouped into 98 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth contain?

Chapter 21 holds 490 sentences of Dragon's teeth, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth by Eça de Queirós exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 490 sentences, grouped into 98 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 21 of Dragon's teeth?

Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 98 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Dragon's teeth

Common questions about reading Dragon's teeth by Eça de Queirós on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dragon's teeth?

Yes. All 8263 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74442 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dragon's teeth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74442, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dragon's teeth take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1653 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Dragon's teeth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Dragon's teeth

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dragon's teeth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dragon's teeth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XXI

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